Today? According to the Nation's Report Card for 2015, 27 percent of fourth graders
are proficient readers - no increase from 2013. The percentage of fourth graders whose reading skills are "basic" only is 33 percent. 31 percent of fourth graders are "below
basic" readers.

Tragically, 75 percent of children who are not proficient readers
by the end of third grade will never be proficient readers.
Source: Focus
on Learning

Three
Reasons for Reading Failure

1.
The program is not appropriate for the child.
2. There are too many students in the reading class.
3. The pace of the instruction is too rapid for children to achieve
mastery of skills presented. Source: The
Reading FoundationRequirements for Research Based Reading Programs

Teachers who are trained in research based methods should use the
programs as they are intended to be used - including the recommended
hours per day and week, and the recommended teacher-student ratio.

I
am not aware of any research showing that a research based program
will work if it is used by a teacher who is not properly trained,
if the teacher-student ratio is wrong, if the required hours per day
and week are wrong, or if the program is wrong for the child's stage
of reading development.

If
the reading program is not matched to the child's stage of reading
development and is not sufficiently intense to bring the child's
skills to where they need to be for his age and grade, it is worthless
for that child.

Check
your state grade level standards and the "average range"
on test scores to document where your child needs to end up. Adjust
the intensity of instruction so the child reaches this goal in two
years or less.

For emotional reasons alone, two years of not knowing how to read
is a long time for a child. Psychologist Michael Ryan describes the
high price children pay when we fail to teach them to read in Social
and Emotional Problems Related to Dyslexia

Is it reasonable that a school that teaches children to read is not
teaching this child to read? It is reasonable to expect that
"specialized instruction to meet the unique needs of the child
with a disability" (the definition of "special education"
in IDEA) will ensure that the child progresses to where he needs to
be in a fairly short period of time?

If the child is not making this progress, is it reasonable to conclude
that the special education program is not appropriate?

Model
Reading Program

After you learn about the requirements for a research based reading
program that will be effective for this child at his reading stage,
look at the model
reading program from the U. S. Department of Education. [Archived information]

This
model calls for 90 minutes of instruction per day, 5 days a week,
from kindergarten through grade 3. Children who are not making sufficient
progress receive additional instruction. This model assumes that reading
instruction takes place in general education classrooms. Children
are not allowed to fall behind. They are given the instruction they
need when they need it. National Research Council, Preventing
Reading Difficulties in Young Children

"A high-quality reading program that is based on scientifically
based research must include instructional content based on the five
essential components of reading instruction integrated into a
coherent instructional design.

"A
coherent design includes explicit instructional strategies
that address students specific strengths and weaknesses, coordinated
instructional sequences, ample practice opportunities and aligned
student materials, and may include the use of targeted, scientifically
based instructional strategies as appropriate.

"The design should also consider the allocation of time, including
a protected, uninterrupted block of time for reading instruction
of more than 90 minutes per day.

"A
high-quality reading program also includes assessment strategies
for diagnosing student needs and measuring progress, as well
as a professional development plan that ensures teachers have the
skills and support necessary to implement the program effectively
and to meet the reading needs of individual students."

When
children receive this type and intensity of instruction by well-trained
teachers, many never need to be identified with a disability and never
need to be placed in special education programs.

11
Questions to Ask About Your Child's Reading Program

Here are some questions you need to ask about your child's reading
program:

1.
What is the name of my child's reading program?

2. Is the reading program researched-based? Does the program include
the five essential elements identified by the National Reading Panel
and required by No Child Left Behind?

3. How many children will be in my child's reading group?

4. How have the children in this group been selected?

5. Has the teacher been trained in direct, systematic, multisensory
reading instruction?

6. Is the teacher certified in this particular program?

7. Has the teacher completed a supervised practicum in this program?

8. How many hours of instruction per week will my child receive?

9. How will the pace of the instruction be determined?

10. What criteria will be used to determine mastery?

11. How will I be informed about my child's progress?
Source: The
Reading Foundation

More Info

Below are links to articles and publications that will help you learn
about research based reading programs, appropriately trained teachers,
stages of reading development, and model reading programs.

Stages of
reading development - If the program is not appropriate for
the child's reading stage, it will be ineffective for him, even if
it works for other children his age.

Plan of instruction - stages are "just a first look. Screening, diagnostic, and ongoing progress monitoring assessment will provide a more in-depth understanding of the student's learning needs. Once the assessment data has been gathered, instruction can be designed according to the child's zone of proximal development in the literacy strands."

4
Great Definitions About Reading in NCLB
- No Child Left Behind includes the legal definitions of reading,
essential components of reading instruction, scientifically based
reading research, and reading assessments. Does your child's program
have these "essential components"? Has the school given
your child a diagnostic reading assessment? What did this assessment
show?

Guidance
for the Reading First Program- The purpose of Reading
First is to ensure that all children are proficient readers by the
end of third grade. This publication
includes a description of a model program - 90 minutes of instruction
per day, 5 days a week, with additional instruction for children who
continue to struggle.

Get help from other parents. Look for a support or study group in
your community. Read Strategies
to Find a Parent Group. Other parents can provide information,
recommend experts, offer support, and alleviate that sinking feeling
that you are fighting this battle alone.